Senior Sensory Scientist

Johnsonville

Location:

Tech Center

Johnsonville’s research & development (R&D) team is where our commitment to innovation has a distinctly scientific flavor. As a member of our R&D team, you’ll be responsible for continually finding new ways to improve upon current Johnsonville products and develop new ones. You and your teammates will use the latest consumer trend data to bring new and exciting flavors to the marketplace.

You may also have opportunities to work with regulatory and other experts to design new and innovative packaging for our products.

Johnsonville has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Sensory Scientist to join the Product Insights team within Research & Development. In this role, you will act as a strategic thought partner to Consumer Insights, Innovation, Product Development, and Marketing—leveraging advanced Sensory Science to inform new product concepts, guide development decisions, and help build a differentiated, winning product portfolio.

This position is instrumental in uncovering consumer preferences, identifying key drivers of liking, and translating complex Sensory data into clear, actionable insights. The result is the delivery of superior products across new platforms, line extensions, and the core business—strengthening Johnsonville’s competitive advantage and reinforcing brand leadership.

• Design, execute, and interpret product research across a broad range of methodologies, adapting and developing custom approaches aligned to business objectives.
• Partner with internal teams and external vendors to guide decisions and continuously elevate research capabilities and impact.
• Apply qualitative and quantitative techniques—including prototyping, category reviews/benchmarking, and sensory fingerprinting—to evaluate new product ideas in exploratory and ambiguous spaces.
• Operate effectively at the front end of innovation, helping teams learn quickly through iterative testing and experimentation.
• Shape product direction early by applying deep expertise in Sensory Science, Food Science and Product Research to influence concepts, formulations, and positioning.
• Lead multiple projects with strong project management skills, serving as a Sensory Subject Matter Expert on cross functional teams.
• Build trusted relationships and influence partners across Marketing, Consumer Insights, Product Development, Manufacturing, Food Safety Quality, Engineering, and Packaging.
• Develop practical solutions to complex research challenges while maintaining high standards for data quality and business impact.
• Communicate insights clearly to technical and non technical audiences, confidently presenting recommendations to support data driven decisions.
• Mentor and develop other Johnsonville members, strengthening organizational capability and establishing yourself as a trusted Sensory expert across the business.
• Develop the capability to provide a strategic vision and effectively lead Product Insight team members.
• Become recognized within Johnsonville and the food industry as a world class Senior Scientist as a result of your accomplishments, continuous learning and leadership abilities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, or a related field with 8–10 years of experience in Sensory Science required; or Master’s degree with a focus in Sensory Science and 3–5 years of relevant experience; or PhD with a focus in Sensory Science and 1–2 years of relevant experience.

• Experience in a large, complex food organization preferred (Fortune 100 experience a plus).
• Strong analytical, conceptual, and problem solving skills with hands on expertise in sensory methodologies, including discrimination, descriptive, and consumer testing.
• Proficiency with sensory research software platforms such as Red Jade, Compusense, or similar tools.
• Solid food industry knowledge, including ingredient functionality, formulation, processing, and manufacturing; meat industry experience preferred

• Proven ability to communicate insights effectively through clear written reports, presentations, and visual storytelling for both technical and non technical audiences.
• Strong written,…